Convergence Conference 2023
What better way to kick off the school year then with high-quality, inspiring, professional development! Last spring, MAETL reached out to various ed tech committees across Canada who were doing similar work to our organization and, through this outreach, we connected with ATLE out of Alberta. Our friendship was solidified when they sent a fantastic group out to the Riding the Wave conference in Gimli in May and it was decided then and there that we could reciprocate a visit to their Convergence conference in October. Myself and Troy Sigvaldason (MAETL VP and IT-extraordinaire) are taking in the conference, as well as co-presenting on the topic of AI In The Classroom.
The following post is a summary of my experiences:
Keynote: Shawn Kanungo
As a globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author, Shawn works at the intersection of creativity, business, and technology. He spent 12 years at Deloitte working with leaders to help them plan for the opportunities associated with disruptive innovation. In his high energy keynote, he draws on his vast experience to provide audiences with an optimistic roadmap for the future.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7xd/keynote-shawn-kanungo
Primary take-aways:
- Good leaders optimize the past (efficiency) – Remarkable leaders create the future (innovation)
- The internet was the most efficient copy machine in the world, now it’s generative AI. There is no playbook, you need to ask bold questions: innovate, disrupt, and evolve
- There will be 2 types of companies: those who use AI and those who do not exisit
- The most valuable job in the world is a value creator
- The deeper you are entrenched in your industry, the more blind you are to fresh perspectives
Follow Shawn’s work:
What is Technology in Education – An Open Forum
Too often discussion about technology in education is about the device in students’ hands or the devices in the classroom. Funding is often based on these devices, but rarely is the infrastructure considered. As the infrastructure is being leveraged by more and more stakeholders the funding model needs to be addressed. Our business is the education of students but can we effectively provide for the technology needs without addressing the funding myths. Join this open forum as ATLE collects insight into how to help school boards address this misconception.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7yw/what-is-technology-in-education-an-open-forum
- ATLE is working on producing a white paper for stakeholders, senior leadership, and Ministry highlighting the deficiencies in technology funding
- Educational techology: classroom
- staff desktop, display, student devices, ed software
- Operational technology: everything else
- infrastrcuture, bandwidth, cyber-security, operations
- What do technology leaders see versus Senior leadership when we talk about “technology” and does this perception affect funding
- What are the expectations of IT versus ET?
- How do these elements work together?
- Does funding reflect this?
Related resources that may provide further insight into this conversation is research from ICTC
- Presenter: Barry Scheelar
Embracing the DIY Movement: Harnessing the Power of No Tech, Low Tech, and High Tech
In this session, we will explore the dynamic intersection of the DIY and Maker movements and how we can leverage the benefits of no tech, low tech, and high tech approaches to foster creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning. Discover how embracing these diverse approaches can empower us to become active makers, problem solvers, and agents of change in an ever-evolving world.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7zx/embracing-the-diy-movement-harnessing-the-power-of-no-tech-low-tech-and-high-tech
- “Technology” is subjective and what you create can look different each day
- What critical thinking is at play while a student is involved in “making”?
- A lot of John Spencer’s work was shared, especially around the LAUNCH cycle
- One of their project examples can be viewed HERE
- Integration into the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Availability and accessibility of supplies (formal kids and loose parts) is important
- Student voice and choice is important, but providing guidance and insight is also needed
Recommended digital supplies include:
- Makey Makey
- Micro:bit
- Accessory kit from Hummingbird
- Digital camera
- Chatterpix
- Makedo
- Inventable
- Create to Learn
Presenters: Paula Huddy-Zubkowski & Jodie Walz
Why Do We IT?
Why exactly are we here? What makes us want to support technology in schools? This will be a somewhat deprecating, and possibly a little bit humourous romp as we remind ourselves together why it is that we work in IT and what we do to make it better! We’ll talk leadership, culture, and explore different ideas and suggestions from around the Province.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7yA/why-do-we-do-it
- We get to do cool things!
- Troubleshooting to learn more, bringing in new and exciting options, automization
2. We work with people who are fun
- We are in the “business” of people and work on supporting all our students and staff
3. Kids make our day!
- This is the best part 🙂
4. People make us crazy
- The tickets we get are wild, funny, and definitely keep us on our toes
*We get to be a hero everyday
Presenter: Todd Kennedy
The Fight Against Instagram Drama
What can schools and central administration do to respond to the ongoing online activities that negatively impact school operations? Learn some of the successful approaches we have used to respond to social media drama.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7z5/the-fight-against-instagram-drama
Questions to ask yourself:
- why do you want to use it?
- who are your stakeholders?
- how is data used?
- what are potential positives and negatives when using these tools in education?
Advice for caregivers:
- open dialogue
- educate yourself
- remove payment methods
- use moderators
- balance your time
How can you be proactive?
- What culture surrounds the use of social media?
- How do we respond if students report something?
- What mechanisms are in place to support students and staff who have concerns?
- How do students know if we’ll act on their concerns?
- What is within an educational scope?
How can you be responsive?
- How do we support students injured by an account?
- What damage has been done to the school culture?
- What resources have you used that are helpful?
- When do we need to bring in other supports?
Presenters: David Salmon & Lea Beeken
What NOT To Do in EDU
The Essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. In this rapid fire session we will cover a wide range of technical topics (Device Management, Identity, Security, Infrastructure, Automation…) discussing what strategy, deployment, tools, and approaches are best for your organization. If your organization has technical debt that you can’t seem to get rid of this session is for you.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S80X/what-not-to-do-in-edu-2023-definitive-edition
“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do”
- Do not, hybrid azure ad join with windows autopilot
- Do not build windows images
- Do not do direct license assignment
- Do not get parents to sign in with their child’s accounts
- Do not continue to deploy windows 10
- Do not disable bing chat
- Do not wait to get O365 copilot ready (no timeline shared for edu), you need data governence policies
- Do not plan to keep use identities hybrid (long term plan should be for all users to be cloud-based)
- Do not allow students to login from TOR or anonymous VPN services
- Do not ignore attack surface reduction rules
- Do not allow weak passwords
- Do not put a TV, computer, and wireless keyboard/mouse then call it a hybrid meeting room
- Do not allow powershell/graph api for users outside of IT
- Do not continue to use ADFS or other legacy token provider soultions, use azure ad with password hash sync
- Do not create multiple identities for one user across services, create one identity (UPN = SMTP = SIP)
- Do not challenge users for MFA all the time, use conditional access and be smart about MFA
- Do not ignore post breach security solutions, schools can be poor at detection and remediation (assume a breach: protect, detect, respond)
- Do not ignore inbox security tools (you have cloud app security)
- Do not continue with wsus for client patching, move to windows updates for business
- Do not deploy direct access or use legacy VPN solutions
- Do not use 3rd party disk encryption
- Do not allow for RDP or SSH directly to servers, use azure bastion
- Do not deploy windows 10 LTSC
- Do not ifnore phish resistant authentication
- Do not deploy windows 10 N or KN editions
- Do not deploy on-prem labs, move to azure lab services
- Do not continue to broadly use deepfreeze or similar products
- Do not forget about risk-based conditional access policies
- Do not deploy Teams SMI
- Do not customize unless necessary
- m365maps.com
Presenter: David Kozera
Engaging Stakeholders for Effective EdTech Leadership In the Post-Pandemic Era
The pandemic shifted the way of communication and engagement with our stakeholders. In this post-pandemic era, Edmonton Public Schools is exploring new ways to engage our teachers, techs, administrators, and more. Join our interactive session where we will explore a range of EdTech leadership strategies and discuss our reflections on feedback methods, surveys, collaborative communities, co-taught lessons, and more. Through this session, we hope to share our own insights, discuss future goals, and provide a space for us all to connect, share, gain perspectives, and leave with adaptable EdTech leadership strategies for your unique context.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S80a/engaging-stakeholders-for-effective-edtech-leadership-in-the-post-pandemic-era
Pre-pandemic there was a strong community of practice, but what does that look like post-pandemic? The pandemic pushed all users into the field very quickly but what does this look like long-term?
“School technology leadership is even more necessary for effective utilization of technology teaching and learning than infrastructure spending alone” Anderson and Dexter (2005)
Questions to help reflect on your context:
- What values do you see when focusing on integrating technology?
- How do you engage your stakeholders?
- What gaps do you see in your stakeholder engagement? Who doesn’t have a voice?
Developing Relationships
- Who are your stakeholders? Schools, within departments, other central agencies, community
- What are the values within each of these groups and how can you connect?
Cultivating Community
- How can you open source tech leadership as the leadership role in a specific stakeholder group may not be the tech leadership person
- Networks can include PLC groups, teacher leaders, technicians, guest presenters, etc
PD Offerings and Opportunities
- Ed tech conferences
- School PD offerings
- Collaborative planning and co-teaching
- Tech Tips
- Resource creation
Focus on Leadership
- Ed tech consultants are coachs, collaborators, teachers, etc
- These are often distributed leadership positions with a full compliment of commitments
- What is the vision of the school leader?
Outreach & Community
- Ed Tech Newsletter
- Sharing stories from around the division
- Internal spaces like Teams
- Tech website or central resource space
Metrics for Success
- What numbers do you pull and what do they tell you?
- What do we hear from others?
- What is the story?
- How do you measure your reach to stakeholders?
Next Steps
- Responsize nature of strategies based on feedback
- Broader communication to all teachers with stories and celebrations
- Development of a community of practice
- Anticipating needs
Presenters: Bernice Pui, Karen Plant, Blythe Evans (ed tech consultants from Edmonton)
Microsoft Teams Rooms and Mobile Teams Rooms Solutions
Join us and learn about the Calgary Board of Educations experience implementing Microsoft Teams enabled rooms and Microsoft Teams portable solutions. We hope to offer up our blueprint for success and lessons learned from implementation to operation.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7zl/microsoft-teams-rooms-and-mobile-teams-room-solutions
Integration timeline looked like:
- April 2020 – Skype
- May 2020 – Teams
- September 2020 – Teams Live
- October 2020 – Teams Rooms
- October 2021 – Teams Mobile Boards
You do need an upgraded Teams PRO license
They use Logitech camera and microphones in 6 rooms that are admin-focused
They also made mobile solutions using existing options like interactive boards on carts
An outlook calendar is set-up with PowerAutomate for booking
Presenter: Jamie Craig, Luc Fortier, and John Lyall
The following are the notes and slides to accompany our session:
AI In The Classroom
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we live, work, and learn. In the classroom, AI can enhance teaching and learning by providing personalized feedback, automating routine tasks, and enabling new forms of assessment. However, AI also raises ethical, social, and technical issues that need to be addressed. In this session, we will explore the opportunities and challenges of AI in the classroom, drawing on examples from K-12 and higher education. We will discuss the pedagogical implications of AI, such as the role of teachers and learners, the design of learning activities, and the integration of AI tools into the curriculum. We will also examine the ethical and social implications of AI, such as privacy, bias, and transparency. Finally, we will consider the technical challenges of AI, such as data quality, interoperability, and scalability. By the end of this session, participants will have a better understanding of the potential of AI in the classroom, as well as the risks and limitations that need to be addressed.
https://atleconvergence2023.sched.com/event/1S7yS/ai-in-the-classroom
AI In The Classroom - CONVERGENCE by Kirsten Cali
We have a dedicated post curating ALL of our AI resources HERE
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